Our Work with Children

Everything we do has just one goal: the sustained well-being of children, especially the most vulnerable.

We work with families, communities, and partners to ensure that children enjoy good health, are educated for life, experience the love of God and their neighbours, and are cared for, protected, and participating.

Our Approaches

Everything we do has just one goal: the sustained well-being of children, especially the most vulnerable.

We work with families, communities, and partners to ensure that children enjoy good health, are educated for life, experience the love of God and their neighbours, and are cared for, protected, and participating.

Make a Difference

In disaster situations, children are always the most vulnerable to the effects of malnutrition and disease

World Vision works around the clock to bring hope and relief to children and families whose lives are threatened in the wake of disasters. Thanks to the support of our committed donors, we've helped over 10 million people worldwide- providing food, shelter, water and healthcare.

Economic development

(Haree versaun Tetun iha okos)

Boosting livelihoods through market links

Every week, small supermarket trucks from Dili travel to Aileu villages to collect fresh produce from farmers in World Vision project areas. Getting produce to market is difficult with Timor’s poor roads and difficult terrain.

But with links to Dili now established, the farmers can plant and grow knowing they have steady and profitable outlets to secure their livelihoods. It’s a big change from the days they had to walk 3-4 hours to and from towns in Aileu or Ermera to sell their vegetables locally.

In Bobonaro municipality, diversifying crops and vegetables has led to a big lift in farmer group incomes. With seeds and training from World Vision, the farmers can sell surplus crops, provide more nutritious food for their families, and retain seed for later plantings.

World Vision runs five economic development projects in Baucau, Aileu and Bobonaro municipalities. Fifty-nine producer groups with 943 members have been set up. Their combined monthly sales rose from $8645 to $18,675 in the year to October 2014.

Savings and loan groups

Another aim is to set up village savings and loans groups. Members are trained on how to set up a proper structure and keep money circulating within the group. Group rules mean that, for instance, members can only borrow for purposes of health, education and economic needs such as paying school fees, repairing houses or setting up small retail kiosks

In a typical group, an elected chairman will call a monthly members’ meeting to update the income and expenditure, who has borrowed or returned money, and how much the group has in cash. Members contribute every month and can borrow up to a certain limit any one time and repay their loans at low interest rates. Sixty-four village saving and loans groups were active in January 2015.

An exciting new project in Bobonaro in 2014 injected an estimated $18,000 into the local economy after an inaugural harvest of 20 tonnes of soybeans was sold to Dili producers. The project is set significantly expand in 2015.